The Book of
Hosea
1 Yehowah’s יהוה word that came to Hosea the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.
Hosea's Commission
2 When Yehowah יהוה spoke at first by Hosea, Yehowah יהוה said to Hosea,
“Go, take for yourself a wife of prostitution
and have children of unfaithfulness;
for the land commits great adultery,
forsaking Yehowah יהוה.”
The Kingdom of the House of Israel
3 So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; and she conceived, and bore him a son.
4 Yehowah יהוה said to him,
“Call his name Jezreel*Jezreel — Yizre'el — means “God Sows”.;
for yet a little while,
and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel on the house of Jehu,
and will cause the kingdom of the house of Israel to cease.
5 It will happen in that day that I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel.”
The House of Israel
6 She conceived again, and bore a daughter.
Then he said to him,
“Call her name Lo-Ruhamah†Lo-Ruhamah means “Not Loved”.;
for I will no longer have mercy
on the house of Israel,
that I should in any way pardon them.
The House of Judah
7 But I will have mercy on the house of Judah,
and will save them by Yehowah יהוה their God,
and will not save them by bow, sword,
battle, horses, or horsemen.”
The Children of Israel
8 Now when she had weaned Lo-Ruhamah, she conceived, and bore a son.
9 He said,
“Call his name Lo-Ammi‡Lo-Ammi means “Not My People”.;
for you are not my people,
and I will not be yours.
10 Yet the number of the children of Israel
will be as the sand of the sea,
which can’t be measured nor numbered;
and it will come to pass that,
in the place where it was said to them,
‘You are not my people,’
they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’
The Day of Jezreel
11 The children of Judah and the children of Israel
will be gathered together,
and they will appoint themselves one head,
and will go up from the land;
for great will be the day of Jezreel.§“Yizre’el Yisra’el”—a play on words—“God plants Israel”.